


Wait For Me

by Ruunkur



Series: Wait For Me [1]
Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: AU for after Tri though, M/M, Man this was fun, Tri Compliant, painful writing, sappy romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 06:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15358521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: Daisuke disappeared three years after the events of Meicoomon, leaving his partners questioning where he was.





	Wait For Me

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I don't know. *shrugs* I just got thinking about things after Tri and how the 02 might handle this and this happened!
> 
> *Spell checked, not edited  
> *All food is based off the Sage menu at the Aria in Las Vegas, NV. I looked up prices, it's expensive.

There's a silence that permeates the air, reminding the man just where he was. A silence that was the background noise of traffic, people, and other things. He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling as the heat came next. He considered himself lucky, that it was a dry heat, rather than the humid heat he had been facing while at the other end of the country. With dry heat, he knew that he wouldn't be facing the air that that seemed to be more liquid when he breathed in.

The silence, though it was no true silence, was oppressive. He pushed himself up, throwing the light sheet away from him. He heard the air conditioner kick on, rustling the poster that was only half tacked down on the wall. It was the ringing of the phone that made him stand, finding his cellphone tossed to the ground. He answered without checking the name.

"Motomiya speaking,"

"Yo Daisuke, you able to cover a shift today?"

The voice was light, cheerful as it asked. Daisuke considered, his gaze sweeping his studio apartment and the mess that had been made. He had promised to himself that he would clean it, but he hadn't gotten around to it in the last week.

"Sure! What time do you need me to be there?" He asked, already rummaging through his clothes that were on his table. The table held his decidedly clean clothing, while the others on the floor were dirty.

"Four PM til midnight, if you can swing it." His manager responded. "We need you on the floor today. I know you're usually in the back but..."

"Of course!" Daisuke grins, holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder. He glanced at the small alarm clock, seeing it was already past three. "I'll be there in twenty!"

"Great, see you soon Daisuke!"

He let the phone fall to the floor as he changed his shirt, picking it up and finding his keys and wallet stashed on the table as well. At one point, he could remember his desire to run his own noodle stand, to be known worldwide, but now he worked for a restaurant as a chef, though sometimes he agreed to be a waiter. He glanced around the apartment, gaze landing on a picture of six children with brightly colored animals -to the untrained eye at least- smiling at the camera. He nodded in its direction, heading outside of his apartment and greeting the heat that blasted his face.

He drove to the restaurant, arriving with enough time to park and make his way to the back. It was a small restaurant from the outside, but the inside always seemed huge to him, taking up two sections o fthe building. He nodded at the waitress at the stand, heading into the back and putting his stuff down.

"Yo Daisuke, did you just wake up or something?"

Daisuke looked up as Jake waved at him, the man offering him a smile.

"You know me, if it's my day off, I don't get out of bed." He joked. "The heat makes me absolutely melt."

"Right," Jake laughs back, bumping Daisuke's shoulder with his own. "You playing chef tonight?"

"Waiting tables," Daisuke winks while Jake rolls his eyes.

"Sam got lucky, didn't she?" He asked.

Daisuke raised an eyebrow, his gaze drifting to where the manager was waiting tables herself. "Not my fault Josh can't be assed to come in sometimes. But, yeah, she did. She caught me in a good mood." He ducked his head when Sam looked up, flashing him a smile and excusing herself from the floor.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice." She said, handing him an order book and pen. Daisuke took it, tucking it into this pocket and raising an eyebrow.

"Josh?" He asked.

"Josh," she agreed with a sigh. "He's getting let go next time he shows up. Now, get out there and do your best! Smile!" She chirped, shoving Daisuke's shoulder playfully. He moved past her, the clock hitting four and began his shift. It had been a while since he had been on the floor, but he found everything came back with an eye he hadn't been aware that he could possess.

It was nearly nine when he looked up, finding his phone to keep track of his lunch. Halfway through, he was interrupted by a flustered looking Jake, who sat across from him. He glanced from Daisuke to the doorway before he leaned close, a grin on his face.

"The digital world ambassador just got sat." He grinned, like he was telling Daisuke a huge secret.

Daisuke felt his brain click, the gears trying to turn before he frowned. "Yagami Taichi, yeah?" He asked.

The man nodded, sitting straight once more. "And they came with digimon! Man, this is the most exciting visit we've had in a long time."

"Who's...with him?" Daisuke asked, looking over Jake's shoulder to the main restaurant.

"They're in the private room, but there's five of them. The blond writer, the cop friend of his, Yagami himself, the singer guy, and some purple haired girl." Jake explained, ticking off the people on his fingers.

Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "Who's waiting on them?" He asked.

"Sam was hoping you could, since you spoke Japanese. You know, wanted to make them feel more at home, that sort of thing. She's really thrilled that they came here, of all places."

Daisuke nodded in agreement, getting up and stretching. "How about telling her no?" He suggested pleasantly.

"What?" Jake blinked, frowning at him. "But..."

Daisuke smiled, his gaze travelling to where Sam stood in the doorway. "No," he whistled. "I can say it in several other languages too."

"Please Daisuke?" Sam asked, walking over to him with wide eyes. "We would be so appreciative if you did this."

"You'll pay me actual over time?" Daisuke asked, Sam raising an eyebrow. "And they got to be the only table I wait on until they leave."

"A chance to meet digimon and you..." She considered it before she nodded. "We can do that, sure! Just get out there Daisuke! Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Daisuke returned the hug, resisting the urge to run. He finished the rest of his food, clocking back in before heading into their private dinning room.

It was as Jake had said, Yagami sitting at the table with Agumon. Yamato sat to his right, Takeru on the other side with Ken and Miyako to Takeru's right, their digimon sitting with their respective partners, though Wormmon was absent. It made for a strange scene, Daisuke gathering himself as he saw Jake meet his gaze.

"If you don't want to do this, I can." He offered, keeping his voice low as he and Daisuke stayed out of sight.

"...I can't do this!" Daisuke smiles brightly. He straightened, fixing his uniform and walking into the room. "Welcome, my name is Davis, I'll be your server today. May I get you started with drinks?" He asked, feeling five pairs of human eyes turn to look at him.

"Sure, water and coke please." Taichi said, his gaze darting around the table. "We're waiting for one more person, she's running late. Will you show her back here when she gets in? She'll have Tailmon with her."

"Of course!" Daisuke pulled out his pad and pen, writing down the order of water and coke before turning to look at the others.

"Coke!" Agumon interjected with a smile.

"Water," Yamato said, Gabumon nodding along with him.

"Coke," the digimon said, Daisuke smiling at each as he wrote.

"Water for me." Takeru agreed.

"Coke!" Patamon looked up, eyes wide as Takeru reluctantly agreed with the soda order.

"Coke," Miyako glanced towards her partner, Hawkmon nodding in agreement.

"Coke as well," Hawkmon shifted, Ken shifting in his seat next to Patamon.

"Water and a white Russian." He said, Dasiuke schooling his mask into blankness as he wrote down the last order.

"Can we get an extra coke and water?" Taichi asked, glancing towards the two empty spots and Daisuke nods.

"Five waters, seven cokes, and a White Russian?" Daisuke asked, looking up from his notepad.

"Sounds right," Taichi said, his gaze flicking around the group. Daisuke turned, walking out and letting the door swing shut. He breathed a sigh of relief, putting in the order and grabbing his spar nametag that read 'Davis' before waiting for the drinks. He saw Sam raise his eyebrow, coming over to him.

"Davis?" She questioned.

"Heh, ya know." He shrugged, his gaze sliding to the side. "They're waiting for two more to join their group, so if you can keep an eye out for a Tailmon and..." He hesitated, glancing towards the room. "Mr. Yagami's sister, they should be here shortly."

"Of course, I'll wave you down when she gets here." Sam eyed Daisuke, shaking her head as she left. Daisuke claimed the tray of drinks, walking back to the room. He slide the door open with his foot, steping through and feeling several sets of eyes on him.

"Sorry, am I...interrupting?" Daisuke asked, shifting the tray and setting it on the stand to the right of the wall.

"Nope!" Takeru said with a smile. "Say...Davis, are you from around here?"

"Heh?" Daisuke blinked as he set the drinks down, careful to place the white Russian away from Patamon and closer to Ken. "I've lived in the area for the past ten years." He offered.

"Oh come on," Miyako said with a roll of her eyes, Daisuke picking up his tray and turning on his heel. He flinched as he heard Miyako start to say something else, Ken cutting her off with a sharp word. He slipped out of the room, unease spreading through him.

_"We just have to keep looking for them, right?"_

_Daisuke turned when he heard Ken's voice, meeting the teenager's gaze. He felt himself stiffen, hands curled at his side. "Maybe if they had cared-" he began._

_"It wasn't there fault, not for what happened to us." Ken tries, reaching out to touch Daisuke's shoulder._

_Daisuke shrugged him off, turning to glare at him. "Where are _our_ partners then?" He demanded. "What happened to us that Takeru and Hikari didn't do more than check in with your parents because someone was using the Kaiser's face against them? We were fucking _leftovers_ to them and we always have been! The didn't care when we went missing, they-"_

_His words are cut off by a choking sob, Ken wrapping his arms around him and offering him a small hum of agreement. "We'll find Wormmon and V-mon." He promised._

_"Armadimon and Hawkmon came back, right away. Where are they Ken?" Daisuke whispered, hiding his face._

_"I wish I knew," Ken responded, holding Daisuke close and kissing his hair. "We'll find them."_

Daisuke opened his eyes, wiping the back of his sleeve over them when he realized he was crying. He scowled to himself, shaking his head and straightening. The door opening caught his attention, Daisuke quickly stepping towards the front and greeting the young woman who had wandered in, a Tailmon at her side.

"Are you with the Yagami party?" Daisuke asked, watching as Hikari looked up at him, surprised.

"Yes, I'm supposed to be meeting my brother. Are they back there?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am, right this way." He turned on his heel, leading the pair back to the party room. He held the door open for Hikari, meeting Tailmon's gaze briefly as they passed. She looked up at him, eyes narrowing before stepping through. Daisuke took several steps back, retreating to a corner to gather himself. He jumped when Jake rested a hand on his shoulder, eyes wide.

"So, what are they like?" He asked.

"Like any normal people I suppose?" Daisuke frowned as he considered the question. "Yamato's a standoffish prick, Taichi is a dick who doesn't care, Takeru's an absolute idiot. Miyako is a loud mouthed asshole, and..." He hesitated, feeling his face heat as he spoke. Jake frowned, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I guess..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, it doesn't matter. They're just like normal people I guess."

"Did you know them?" Jake frowned as he listened to his description.

"Bad experiences with them, let's leave it at that." Daisuke reached a hand up, touching the scar that ran across one of his eyes. He, Ken, Miyako, and Iori had woken up in the hospital with all sorts of scars that none of them had remembered receiving. It had been a question of what would have happened had they been able to help with Meicoomon. He grimaced, turning away from Jake.

"Do you want me to take over serving for you dude?" Jake asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Daisuke looked at him, feeling his mouth pull into a frown. "I think I would have preferred a ghost." He admitted.

"Come on, do you need me to take over?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow. Daisuke sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"It's just one night, right?" He asked, looking at Jake. He flashed him a smile, turning when he checked how long he had been. "It'll be fine,"

Jake nodded, watching him step back towards the room. Daisuke set his shoulders, the smile easily slipping onto his face as he reached out, opening the door and nodding at the group.

"Are you folks ready to order?" He asked, pulling out the notepad in hopes that he could get out fast with their order.

"Not yet, but thank you!" Takeru chimed, Daisuke nodding as he turned to leave.

"Is there anything you would suggest for appetizers?" Hikari asked with a dazzling smile and Daisuke internally curses.

"The Lamb Neck Paddardelle is quite delicious. It has red pepper romesco, calabrian chile, and aged goat cheese." He explained at the confused looks of the name. "The roasted veal sweetbread is delicious as well. A personal favorite of mine, both of them."

"We'll try the roasted veal," Taichi said, looking down at the menu.

"What do you suggest in way of soups?" Miyako asked, her gaze sliding over to Takeru with a raised eyebrow as he sunk behind the menu just a bit more. Daisuke restisted the urge to sigh, jotting down the roasted veal order.

"English pea soup," Daisuke responded.

"We'll take two orders!" Hikari chirped from her seat next to Tailmon. The digimon nodded in agreement, bringing her glass of water closer to her.

"Can we make that two orders of the veal and two orders of the lamb neck...padderdelle?" Taichi asked, glancing at the wide eyes of the five digimon."

"Of course," Daisuke marked all three items down, writing down the number two before he looked at the others. "Anything else you would like to try, or shall I get the appetizers started?" He walked away when they all nodded their agreement. Daisuke put the order in, taking a seat and running his hands through his hair.

"How's it going?" Sam asked, stopping in front of him.

"Fine, just fine." Daisuke promised with a grin.

"Quite an interesting group you got tonight, huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "I think you are the best person to deal with them too! It's a great thing that you aren't cooking tonight."

"I'd rather be cooking," Daisuke grumbled, hiding his face in his hands. Sam frowned, pursing her lips.

"Look, if the digital ambassador gives my restaurant a good review, I will pay you a week's vacation for whenever you need it, okay?" She raised an eyebrow, Daisuke meeting her gaze with a smile.

"Does that mean I can cook instead?" He teased, Sam rolling her eyes and ruffling his hair.

"Get out of here Davis," she snickered at the name, "and do your job."

Daisuke grinned back. "You were the one that messed up my name first!" He teased. He got up when he heard his order called, collecting the plates and making his way into the room. He paused when he heard the voices, hesitant as he picked up the end of the sentence.

"-be possible?" ken asked, Daisuke hesitating.

"Well, have you heard from him?" Takeru pressed.

"The man's name is Davis," Hikari interrupted. Daisuke pushed the door open with his hip, setting the tray down and passing out the food.

"Need refills on anything?" He asked, his gaze scanning the crowd.

Several of them nodded, Daisuke moving to collect the empty drinks and quickly stepping back. He set them on the tray, picking up his pace as he headed to the back and refilled them. He brought them back, feeling several eyes turning to him.

"Are you folks ready to order?" He asked, shifting from foot to foot.

"Yes please," Yamato said, his narrowed gaze on Daisuke. He swallowed, shifting it from the blond to his digimon with a hesitant smile, pen at the ready.

"Agumon and I are going to have two orders of Wagyu New York Strip, medium rare and rare." Taichi said, gesturing towards himself and the digimon on his left. Daisuke nodded, Yamato looking at the menu.

"Well, if you're paying.... Two Iberico "secreto" Porks," Yamato set the menu down, Hikari laughing.

"Yeah mister hot shot musician, make me pay." Taichi grumbled in Japanese, Yamato grinning at him.

"I'll have the roasted halibut." Tailmon pipped up.

"Rohan duck breast for me," Hikari responded.

"Two organic chickens," Takeru requested.

"I'll have the beef short rib," Ken replied, his jaw snapping shut before he could have anything else.

"Maine day boat scallops." Miyako said, putting her menu down and looking at Daisuke with a squint. She moved to adjust her glasses, pulling her hand away when she remembered that she was no longer wearing them.

"I will also take the roasted halibut," Hawkmon chirped.

"Okay, I got two Wagyu New York, one medium rare, one rare. Two iberico porks, two roasted halibut, a rohan duck breast, two organic chickens, a Main day boat scallops, and one beef short rib. Excellent choices," Daisuke said with a flourish, collecting the menus.

"Can we order dessert now and have it come out when we're finished?" Taichi asked, Daisuke nodding and keeping his pen poised.

"Five passhionfruit sabayon mousses, five pistachio cherry baked alaskas, and..." Takeru glanced at the digimon as they nodded in excitement.

"Six yuza soda floats," Taichi finished, Hikari rolling her eyes.

"Perfect, I'll put in the orders now and request that they hold the dessert until you're ready for them!" Daisuke turned, beginning to walk out as he heard the chosen return to their conversation in Japanese. He ran the food to the kitchen, turning back around and sulking towards one of the smaller doors just outside the private gust rooms. He grimaced to himself, knowing Sam would be pissed if she caught him ease dropping.

"Well, it doesn't matter, does it?"

He perked up when he heard Miyako's voice, the woman snorting.

"Of course it matters!" Takeru protested.

"We didn't come here to start a fight." Hikari cautioned.

"No one said _anything_ about fighting!" Miyako protested.

"I know that look." Hawkmon muttered and Daisuke snorted, able to picture exactly the look of indignation Miyako would be portraying.

"Guys, I think we should leave the poor waiter alone." Taichi suggested. "There's no saying who it is. Besides, his name is Davis anyway."

"Oh come on Taichi, we don't know where Daisuke went. It could be him!" Miyako protested. "And if it _is_ , I want to give him a piece of my mind. He deserves it!"

"Guys..." Ken sighed and Daisuke grimaced at his tone of voice. "I don't think it's Daisuke."

"Well, if it is-" Miyako began.

Daisuke tensed as the door opened, Sam's voice filtering to him. "Hi folks, how is your evening going?"

"Well, thank you." Taichi answered, Daisuke slumping his shoulders.

"Davis treating you well?" Sam asked.

"Of course, he's an excellent waiter!" Takeru chirped, Daisuke rolling his eyes as Patamon giggled.

"Perfect, let any of us know if you need anything!" Daisuke froze as he heard the door open and shut, hearing Sam's footsteps walk away. He straightened, letting out a low sigh.

"I'll be back."

Daisuke heard the words as he began to move away, already halfway down the hall when the door opened. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Taichi come out. He made to move faster, freezing when he heard Taichi call the name 'Davis' out. He turned, flashing Taichi a smile.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Yagami?" He asked, feeling his heart jump to his throat as Taichi stopped in front of him.

"It's my sister's birthday," Taichi began and Daisuke inwardly frowned, knowing it wasn't her birthday at all, "and I was wondering if you could do that thing that Americans are found of doing for patrons' birthdays!"

"Of course, Mr. Yagami sir, we'd be delighted to!" Daisuke said with a bow, using the moment to mask his confusion. He flashed the bright smile once more, seeing the hesitation in Taichi's eyes. "Is there...something wrong sir?" He asked.

"No, of course not. Which way is the restroom?" Taichi asked. Daisuke pointed him in the right direction, hurrying out of the way and finding Sam.

"Something up?" She asked, meeting Daisuke's gaze when he arrived.

"Mr Yagami's sister's birthday is today. He would like us to sing happy birthday for her." Daisuke explained, Sam nodding in agreement.

"Of course! I'll round up the staff when they get served desert." Sam promised. "Just let me know!"

Daisuke nodded, imagining the horror that was going to be Hikari's face when she realized what her brother had done. He went to the kitchen, gathering the food that was ready and heading back to the room. He began to pass out food, returning five minutes later with the rest of it along with refills. He took a step back, surveying the group.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" He asked, holding his hands behind his back.

"No thank you," they coursed back, the five digimon already digging in. Daisuke's glance flashed around the room, finding Tailmon's gaze on him. He offered her a hesitant smile before backing out of the room, returning to his spot to wait and listen. It was quiet for several minutes before Taichi began to speak.

"He's great at playing dumb," the man grumbled.

"Why are you convinced it's Daisuke?" Agumon asked around the food in his mouth.

"Because it has to be!" Taichi said, Daisuke frowning at the conviction in his voice. "You don't just disappear..."

"Taichi," Ken sighed, the sound of silverware clinking against the plate catching Daisuke's attention. "Please, may we drop the subject?"

"I think...I agree with Taichi on this one." Takeru said, hesitant as he spoke.

"What point is there if it is him?" Patamon asked, Daisuke slumping against the wall.

"I get to strangle him." Miyako growled, Hawkmon letting out her name with a sigh.

"No strangling!" Hikari interjected. "We don't have proof it's him."

"We don't have proof it's not him." Yamato said after a moment, drumming his fingers against the table. Daisuke turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder, meeting Sam's stern gaze as he hung his head, following the owner out of the hallway.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, the pair stepping back into the employee room.

"Uhm, waiting to see if they needed anything else? That's what that room is designed for." Daisuke hedged, feeling the weight of her gaze on him.

"Yes but-" she frowned as she considered the words. "Jake says you've been acting dodgy since they came in here. What's up?"

"Wish I could tell you." Daisuke shrugged. "I don't think I could explain in..." He glanced at a clock. "Less than ten minutes."

Sam narrowed her eyes, watching him. "Fine, go back to listening in the room. I'll send Jake in to check if they need anything. Whatever you think is wrong will be proven to be nothing." Daisuke nodded, heading back towards the room as Sam walked off, determination in every step.

Daisuke winced at the scenarios that placed through his head when Jake opened the door. "Hi folks, is there anything I can get for you?"

"Who is the chef tonight? The food is quite excellent."

Daisuke listened to Ken's comment, feeling his heart ache at the last time he had seen the man. He shoved the thought away, focusing on the words.

"Jonathan Belqua, he's our secondary chef while the head chef is off." Jake explained.

"And who is the head chef?" Miyako asked, an edge in her voice.

"Daisuke Motomiya," Jake said pleasantly. "He's been your server tonight-"

"Fuck," Daisuke whispered, backing away. He took several steps down the hallway, feeling the dread come up as he heard the door open.

"MOTOMIYA!"

He flinched when he heard Takeru's voice, offering Sam a small wave. "I hate you!" He said cheerfully, Sam raising an eyebrow as Daisuke began to jog towards the back of the restaurant, thankful that it was nearly empty. He ducked into the kitchen, catching one of the other server's by the shoulder.

"The Yagami party is ready for desert. It's the woman's birthday, she has the Tailmon sitting next to her." He rattled off their order, the server quickly platting the deserts and bringing them out. She gathered everyone up for the birthday singing, Jonathan looking startled to see Daisuke appear by his side.

"Hide me," he pleaded, glancing over his shoulder.

"Daisuke, what are you doing?" Jonathan asked, Daisuke moving to stand on the other side of the man. They were used to Daisuke in the kitchen, but the staff had to admit, this was strange even for him.

"Mmm, I wish I could explian," Daisuke said, washing his hands and looking at what was being prepped. "Please, just give me something-anything- to do."

"Mushrooms need to be chopped." Jonathan suggested, Daisuke looking up when he heard Sam's footsteps in the kitchen doorway. He began to chop the mushrooms as requested, keeping his face low as the woman's footsteps stopped in front of where he was working.

"Mr. Takaishi is looking for yo." She said, Daisuke looking up at her to see the barely restrained-he wasn't sure if it was amusement or anger-emotions on her face. "What did you do?"

"I-"

_Daisuke sat back as he watched Miyako and Iori talk with their partners, both of them recovering from the battle in the digital world. It was several months after the events with Meicoomon, Daisuke stewing on the fact that they had been left out._

_His gaze slid to where Ken stood with their third partner, Takeru gesturing at something as Patamon sat on his head. He tipped his head, watching as Ken offered a laugh at the tale, Daisuke pushing himself away from the wall and heading over to them._

_"I'm going home," he felt the weight of the D-3 in his pocket, his own guilt -though he wasn't sure what he should be feeling guilty about- eating away at him._

_"Are you sure?" Takeru asked, turning to look at his partner in concern._

_"Yeah, I'm...not feeling well." Daisuke glanced off to the side, hunching his shoulders as he spoke._

_"Would you like me to go with?" Ken inquired, turning to him with concern in his eyes._

_"I..." He swallowed, shaking his head and smiling at Ken, despite how much it hurt. "No, you have a good time! I think something I ate earlier is disagreeing with me. I should...go..." He finished, feeling Miyako's gaze on him. They had agreed to meet the others in the digital world, to search once more for their missing partners. It had been months, and there was still a bitter taste in his mouth. It didn't matter that they were looking, they were unlikely to find them at this rate._

_"Okay," Ken spoke as he caught Daisuke in a hug, pulling him close and whispering in his ear, "call me if you need anything, please?"_

_"Of course!" He was able to tell this lie more brightly than the other, returning Ken's hug. Takeru approached, hesitant as he had been in the first days that they had been recovering in the hospital. Daisuke moved, hugging Takeru tightly and kissing him on the cheek. "Good luck," he added before he let go of Takeru. He fled the scene, finding the nearest gate out and sinking into his bed as soon as he could._

_It felt hollow, the ache in his chest from missing Chibimon only growing the more they tried to search for him._

"Daisuke?"

He focused back on Sam, setting the knife down and shaking his head. "I don't want to wait on them." He finished.

"That's okay," Sam looked at him in concern, resting a hand on the board next to the mushrooms. "Do you want to go home?"

"Please?" He asked, feeling like a child as she nodded.

"I won't hold it against you. Feel better and see you tomorrow night." She watched Daisuke back of the kitchen, Jonathan watching him go. Daisuke turned his back away from them as soon as he could, scanning the hall to make certain it was clear after he clocked out before he headed towards the front door.

He saw Sarah and the other servers leave the private room, Daisuke stepping into the hall and freezing when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Daisuke,"

He turned when he heard the voice, meeting Yamato's gaze. He felt a wellspring of fury rise up, yanking away from his grip. "I don't know who you're talking about! You must have me confused for someone else!" He said in a false cheerful voice, each word feeling like he was being stabbed.

"Oh hell no," Yamato snarled, taking a step closer to Daisuke. Daisuke met his gaze, feeling himself grow calm as he cocked an eyebrow.

"I suggest you take a step back sir," his voice was quiet as he spoke, his body relaxed. He saw as Yamato tensed, his fingers digging harder into his shoulder. "I don't know you, after all! I would hate to give someone the wrong impression."

Yamato frowned, Daisuke using the momentairy confusion to shake his grip lose. He took a step back, straightening and _smiling_ at Yamato.

"Daisuke-" he began, the man tipping his head to the side and looking down at the name tag on his uniform.

"My name's Davis, see?" He said, pointing at it. "It's like you don't know how to read! Honestly, is English-" He ducked as Yamato came towards him again, stepping to the side as his mind caught up to his mouth. He inwardly cursed, seeing Taichi step into the hall, confusion plastered on his face.

"What are you doing Yamato?" He asked, Gabumon peeking around Taichi's leg. Yamato gestured furiously towards Daisuke, unable to explain what he wanted.

Daisuke glanced between Taichi and Yamato, calculating how quickly it would be to lose them in the Aria hotel. He gave up after a moment, running a hand through his hair. "Don't you get when a person wants to be left alone?" He demanded, seeing Takeru's face appear from further down. He grimaced, shoving his hands in his pockets and feeling the pen there. He fiddled with it, shaking his head.

"Who do you think you are to disappear like that on us?" Yamato demanded, Daisuke narrowing his eyes. He felt the calm evaporate, his anger rearing its head.

"I disappeared on _you_?" He demanded, voice rising. He felt a small inkling of guilt at disturbing Sam's restaurant, but it was too late now. "How the fuck do you think I felt when we disappeared in a fight only to come to in a fucking hospital? Hell, none of you even bothered to check on us for the first week! Oh, but you came with apologies after that. My own fucking boyfriend didn't even realize something was wrong when Ken, Iori, Miyako, and I disappeared! We were supposed to be a god damn team _Yamato_. But please, tell me who you think I am for disappearing on you like that!"

"Hey now," Taichi moved, raising his hands and trying to step between them. Daisuke took several steps back, his gaze darting to Taichi. "There was a lot going on-"

"Oh yeah, someone comes flashing a pretty smile and you just _forget_ to check on four people that you knew for years! That's really great Taichi, really fucking comforting. But, hey, if you just spend some time with us, maybe it'll just smooth everything over! We could go back and pretend it never happened!" He smiled, gesturing around him as if it would make a difference. "Who the hell cares about the leftovers, right? We're only important when you need someone who can take a punch! Oh wait, that's right, half of our partners disappeared! We don't matter, nothing about us _matters_ , Taichi." He sneered, hands curling into fists.

"MOTOMIYA!" Sam snapped, Daisuke feeling his face flush as he saw the owner storm down the walkway. He realized the rest of the staff had stopped to stare at his outburts, the other chosen and their digimon standing outside the private room.

"You know, I think I quit." Daisuke said, turning to Sam and nearly flinching under the cold fury that was in her eyes. He felt small, when he realized there was hur tin her eyes as well, the woman shaking her head.

"Sorry boss, guess small differences, ya know?" He offered, turning and heading towards the door. He shrugged off the hand, a coldness creeping into his stomach.

"We didn't mean for any of it to happen." Taichi began, Daisuke turning towards him and arching an eyebrow.

"You will take this disagreement to the back room, now." Sam snapped, pointing towards the private room they had been eating in. "You are lucky Motomiya that we have no other customers at this point. I will not accept your resignation, but move it out of the entryway, are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am." Daisuke moved roboticly under Sam's gaze, keeping away from Yamato and Taichi as they followed after him, Gabumon hurrying to his partner's side. He stood just inside the doorway, looking pointedly at the ceiling. Taichi shut the door behind Yamato and Gabumon, standing in front of it. Daisuke considered the back door, wondering if they would just follow him as well.

"Can we discuss this...with less volume?" Taichi tried, Daisuke turning a hard stare towards him.

"No," he snapped, though he did try to keep his voice low. "There is nothing to discuss, Taichi."

"I told you not to bother him about it." Ken sighed, taking a bite of his desert. "But no, we just had to, didn't we?"

"He owes us an explanation." Miyako protested.

"He doesn't owe us anything." Takeru scoffed.

"You're only going to cause more discourse." Hawkmon agreed, his gaze scanning the others.

"Did you really have to go after him Yamato?" Hikari asked, voice soft.

Yamato narrowed his eyes at the question, considering it before he nodded. "Look, if this asshole can disappear without a word to any of us-"

"Why does that matter now? It didn't matter before." Daisuke pointed out.

"We didn't..." Taichi trailed off as Daisuke glared at him, finding himself unable to force the words out.

"Takeru, Ken, and I were dating. I think someone would notice their partners disappearing without a trace. Not to mention that you really thought that Ken would go back to being the Kaiser. Fuck, you went to talk to Ken's family but didn't bother to reach out to anyone else's family. You just accepted he disappeared. Then, you didn't even bother to come and see us for a week in the hospital after ditching us there. You never bothered-"

"We had things going on." Taichi began, Hikari reaching out and resting a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"You're trying to talk over him when he's explaining very valid points." Her voice was quiet, Daisuke's glare melting to something softer as he watched her.

"Yes, you had _things_ going on, but you should have noticed a fourth of your team going missing." Daisuke shook his head. "Not to mention-"

"They were deleted." Ken spoke up, meeting Daisuke's gaze. "Wormmon and V-mon. While Yggdrasil was trying to destroy the digital world, they had used our partners to fight against the others. End the end, Yggdrasil managed to override their...core coding and deleted them completely." Daisuke felt his throat close, moving to sit in an unoccupied chair as he took in the words. The hand in his pocket gripped his D-3 -which had been useful only in opening gates since it happened- hard.

"Great," his voice went to chipper, his gaze meeting Ken's. "We fight a fight we can't win, get banished for, what three months?, and then our partners were completely _deleted_ from the digital coding. What a great way to end the night! It was a pleasure seeing everyone, it really was. Can I go now?"

He heard a shuffling, his head staring at his hands in his lap. He could see a million different things in his hands: the scars from cooking, where he had once bit his thumb joint to keep from screaming out in pleasure and it ended in blood-they were at Ken's house and his parents were home and the didn't want to have to answer awkward questions(they ended up having to anyway)-, the way either Takeru or Ken's hair would thread through his fingers, how many people stated they could see the past and future in his lines, how he kept his nails trimmed short for cooking, and even the scar Chibimon had left behind when he had accidentally bit him trying to get food.

He felt numb when he realized that there was tears dripping onto him.

Ken's slender fingers moved, taking on of his hands and tracing the scars, face hidden by hair. "I was worried about you." He spoke as if they were the only two there, his voice soft and gentle. "You feel so strongly. You wear your emotions like a storm pounds against the storm. I thought you would burn yourself to the ground, wearing them so strongly. Instead, you hid them away and wouldn't let anyone help. You wore a smile when you were hurting."

Daisuke didn't move, tensing as Ken gripped his wrist, fingers strong as they found his pulse.

"You went through it alone, because... I don't know why, but I understand your hurt towards the others. I... I even understood why you left with only a note to me. Daisuke, you worry me. If you ask me to walk out of your life, I will. But you have to ask me. Otherwise, I will keep searching for you, until I am certain that you are dead."

Daisuke shifted, tipping his head forward and resting it on Ken's, letting out a low breath. "And what?" He asked.

"Please come home," Ken whispered. "We-I- miss you."

Dasiuke closed his eyes, considering it before he wondered what any of his coworkers would make of the scene.

"I can't," he said finally. "Go home, that is. This...is my home."

"Then, can I come to you?" Ken asked, Daisuke moving and pulling away as Ken looked up at him. He was kneeling in front of Daisuke's chair, eyes full of concern. "I am worried,"

"What is it that you want me to say?" Daisuke asked, voice strained. "We lost so much..."

"And we keep losing more," Ken replied, "if you wish to act this way. You are welcome to your solitude Dai, but..." He hesitated, Daisuke meeting his gaze. He could feel the gaze of the others, his mind skittering towards the others. He was surprised to see Takeru standing so close, unsure when he had joined them.

"Dai?" He asked, Daisuke looking up at Takeru and seeing the stress and worry that had been hidden. He swallowed, shaking his head.

"I don't know," he admitted, feeling a flood of feelings. Years, he had worked to build the walls around himself and the others, spent years blaming them and yet...

"We'll wait for you," Takeru promised, his voice catching Daisuke's attention. It sounded almost broken and he felt broken but he nodded.

"For how long?" He asked.

"However long it takes you." Ken responded, finally letting go of Daisuke's hand where he had been tracing the bite mark in a soothing motion.

"Okay," he said, feeling nothing as he stood and looked at the others. He turned, walking out of the room without a backward glance, hearing Yamato start to protest, Takeru cutting him off.

"Wait for me," he mumbled, waving at Sam, who gave him a pitying, concerned look as he left, the words swimming in his head.


End file.
